The RMIT Animation
and Interactive Media Graduate Diploma is the best thing since
penguins. And that's saying something. I consider myself to be incredibly
lucky because during 1999/2000 I studied with the guru masters at
AIM. If you are looking for a course that is demanding, challenging,
fun, informative, varied, flexible, exciting, energising and exhausting
all at the same time, look no further.

To get into the course
you have to perform differential equations in your head, apply fractal
geometry to clouds by hand and do a five ball juggle. Well, perhaps
not quite, but you do have to jump through a few hoops.

Here's my application material.
If you get through the first round you go in for an interview where
you get to plead, cry and offer bribes, at least...that's what I did.

The test was divided into four parts:

Section A: is reasons for wanting to do
the course

Section B: Visual Story Telling

Tell a story with a sequence of pictures
(without words or text)

Tell the story as a comic strip style
sequence using no more than 9-10 postcard-sized images. In your
storyboard, use images 1-8 to develoop the story which may lead
to an unexpected, amusing or surprise ending in the last 1-2
images.

The Deck ChairReturn to Sender This is the one that went in.The Dance LessonThis
one doesn't really read. It's supposed to be two people talking with a picture
of parents in the background. They fight and fall into the patterns their parents
taught them.

Section C: Creative writing

Task: Use the written word to either tell a
short conventional narrative, explore a character, place or
situation or just reflect upon one of the themes
below.

Section D: Project Proposal

Outline a short project that you would
enjoy making during the course. if you wish to make an animation,
include an outline of the story and the technique you would use.
Also a description of the story's characters, its visual style
and the way you would use sound. If you wish to create and
interactive of Web based project, paying regard to your intended
audience and the way they will use and interact with your
project. Also indicate why you have chosen this medium as opposed
to linear forms, to be the publishing medium of your production.

Still reading?

If you made it this far and you're
still reading, I'm impressed. You might want to check out my AIM scrapbook
where I put work from the course. You will find my adventures into learning
new things like animation, sound and 3D Studio Max.